Style is
playing a larger and larger role these days in the design
of computer hardware, and for good reason. Why have a bland beige box sit next to you when you
can have a "flashy" black or brushed aluminum case with iridescent blue lights glowing inside?

I know a few novice computer users who are buying
systems that have case windows, and LED fans which until recently were strictly the
domain of the "computer geek". I know it's true, because I'm a geek
too.

Memory
manufacturers can realistically only so much to flash up their modules, and the most
popular method is simply to wrap the DIMM's with various colours of aluminum or
even copper heatspreaders. GeIL, a company that
has some of the flashier DIMM's out there, just released their Golden Dragon line
of memory - possibly the best looking DIMMs on the market some might
say?

GeIL
incorporated advanced WLCSP (wafer level chip scale package) technology into
the Golden Dragon memory line, and
aside from the functional reasons to go in this direction, it does look
rather cool. To protect the naked silicon DRAMs from damage, the manufacturer added a
transparent plastic cover over top.

Doesn't that look cool? The eye of dragon glows red thanks to a small LED
when the system is on. Very cool indeed, case modders out there should
like that!

There are no speed markings on the DRAMs themselves, however GeIL has said that they're using hand
picked 4ns modules. The Ultra PC3500 Golden Dragon DC memory is rated to run at
433 MHz with memory timings of 2-3-3-6, and is rated to run at between
2.5-3.1V.

According to Maxim Integrated Products, "Wafer-Level Chip-Scale Package (WLCSP) is a type of chip
scale package which enables the integrated circuit to be attached to the
printed-circuit board face-down, with the chip's pads connecting to the PC
board's pads through individual solder balls without needing any under fill
material.

This technology differs from other
ball-grid array, leaded, and laminate based chip scale packages because there
are no bond wires or interposer connections. The principle advantage of the
WLCSP is that the IC-to-PC board inductance is minimized.

Secondary benefits are reduction in
package size and manufacturing cycle time and enhanced thermal conduction
characteristics."

Next, we examine the overclocking
potential of these advanced little DIMMs.